Robert Hall Winery bears the name of its founder, Robert Hall, an industrious entrepreneur who decided he wanted to own a winery during a family trip to France in the late 1970s. Robert was drawn in particular to Rhône varietals and -- after a thorough search -- he knew the terroir he was looking for was in Paso Robles. With the vision of building a winery that could handle a case production of 100,000 or more, he acquired his first vineyard, Home Ranch, in 1995, and Terrace and Bench vineyards shortly thereafter.

Robert’s next quest was for the ideal winemaker. A friend suggested Don Brady, whose impressive winemaking résumé included tenures with leading Texas wineries and a stint as senior winemaker at Delicato Vineyards. Don aspired to have a position where he could impact the wine’s quality from the vineyard to the bottle. The men took a walk together through Robert’s vineyards, and Robert hired Don on the spot.

“Ever since I started here in 2001, my goal has been to create wines that reflect the best of Paso Robles,” Don says. “After 12 years of working with fruit from the same vineyards, we’ve developed a consistent house style that’s elegant, food-friendly, balanced, and age worthy.” In 2006, Don was named the California Mid-State Fair’s Central Coast Winemaker of the Year. He was also instrumental in the California State Fair’s choice of Robert Hall Winery as its 2010 Golden State Winery of the Year, one of the oldest and most prestigious wine awards in the United States.

In keeping with Robert’s early vision, the production of Robert Hall wines has steadily grown to over 60,000 cases annually. Thanks in large part to Robert, who travels frequently to introduce his wines to a broader market, Robert Hall wines are one of the few Paso Robles brands that can be found in virtually every state. For instance, the Robert Hall Cabernet Sauvignon can be found in many major retail outlets and chains such as Trader Joe’s. Beyond a lineup of excellent core wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Syrah, the winery also widely distributes an intriguing list of specialty wines such as Orange Muscat, and Vintage Port made from estate-grown Portuguese varietals.

Robert’s original focus on Rhône wines remains evident in the estate vineyards, where a dozen or more different Rhône varieties grow. An impressive list of Rhône varietals and blends, along with a few reserve wines like the Grenache Blanc, are made available for tasting room only. Since they’re very fairly priced, Robert Hall wines can be enjoyed as often as one likes.

The architecture of Robert Hall Winery’s Hospitality Center is grand and elegant, but the welcoming staff makes newcomers feel right at home. Guided educational tours through the winemaking facility and massive underground caverns are available daily, and outside there are two regulation bocce courts and plenty of spots for picnics. When he’s not on the road, Robert can be found at the winery, eager to greet guests and share the essence of Paso Robles through his splendid wines.